About the CST

Anne Taylor

Anne Taylor is a cultural sociologist focused on the intersections of religion, media, and politics in popular culture. Her research explores the ways in which people find joy in life, including how they overcome structural and symbolic obstacles to do so. She has published articles in Cultural Sociology, Sociologica, the American Journal of Cultural Sociology, and Material Religion. Her work theorizes cases that are confounding to, or made invisible by, traditional categorization - including the interpretive agency of those on the margins. Using social performance theory and a multi-method qualitative research design, Taylor’s new book project--Performing Religion: Charisma, Enchantment, and the Sacred in the Post-Secular Age, examines three cases from popular culture that would traditionally be cosidered “secular” and reveals how each have a search for religious meaning deep inside of them: Deion ‘Coach Prime’ Sander’s takeover of the University of Colorado football team, group travel in Scotland with Rick Steves, and a podcast that reads Harry Potter as a sacred text.